Automatic door bottom



Dec. 3, 1935.

w. E. BALousEK AUTOMATIC DOOR BOTTOM Filed Maron 19, 1954 l Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,022,930 AUTOMATIC DOOR BOTTOM poration of Illinois Application March 19, 1934, Serial N0. 716,290

7 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to closures, and particularly to an automatically actuated bottom for doors and the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide an automatically actuated door bottom wherein a weather strip is moved into operative position to close a crack or space beneath a doo-r when the door is closed, and wherein the strip is automatically raised out of operative position when the door is opened.

Another object of the invention is toy provide a structure `of the character described wherein the weather strip is moved into eiective engagement with a door sill whether positioned parallel with the bottom of the door or at an angle with respect thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide `a weather strip supporting and actuating assembly which is self-contained and which may be readily positioned and conveniently secured as a unit in a housing and door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein all the movements of the weather strip are positively controlled by the mechanism employed in its operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein, any lost motion of the strip actuating mechanism and door, beyond the movement necessary to lower the weather strip into effective operative position, is automatically taken up.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein the means engageable with the actuating mechanism for lowering `the weather strip to operative position, may be acljusted .to vary the movement of the strip in accordance with the space between the `bottom of the door and the door sill.

A still further object of the present invention is `to improve devices of the character described in sundry details hereinafter referred to and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

One embodiment of the present invention is shown for lillustrative purposes in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view partly in section of a door illustrating the application of my improved automatic door bottom thereto, and showing the weather strip in raised position;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the various elements constituting the invention in changed position, and showing the weather strip in engagement with a door sill positioned `at an angleto the lowercdge of the door;

(Cl. .Z0-68) Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional elevational view taken substantially as indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan View taken substantially as indicated by the 5 une 4 4 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown as mounted in the lower a door 6, instance, an inverted channel or U- lO shaped housing 1 positioned in a groove 8 formed in the lower edge of the door and secured thereto by nails 9 or other suitable means as; clearly shown in Fig. 3.

slidably mounted in the housing 1 is an actu- 15 ating member indicated, as a whole, by the numeral II, and comprising a push rod I2 adapted to extend outside the housing, and an actuating plate I3 rigidlysecured to the rod by means of bolts I4, the plate I3 being provided with longi- 20 tudinally extending, preferably aligned, slots I5 and I6 adapted to receive,

housing 1,

Pivotally mounted on the pivot pins I1 and I8, at one side of the actuating plate I3, are oppositely extending arms I9 and 2I having crank pins 22 `and 23 mounted, respectively, therein by 30 which the said arms are pivotally connected to the plate I3 of the actuating member II, the crank pin 22 of the arm I 9 being positioned below the pivot pin I 1 and the crank pin 23 of the arm 2I being positioned above the pivot pin I 8, the 3,5 arrangement being such that when the actuating ymember II and its plate I3 are moved in one direction or another the arms I9 and 2I will be rotated in opposite directions about the pins I1 and I 8.

Pivotally mounted at the free end of the arm 2 I, by means of a stud 24, is a weather strip supporting bar 25 having a weather strip 26 formed, preferably, of brous or felt-like material, and `holder 21 therefore secured to the bar 25 by 4 5 means of screws 28, and formed in the bar 25 in spaced relation to the stud 24, is a slot 29 adapted to slidably receive a pin 3| mounted .in the free Aend of the arm I9 and by which the bar 25 and arm `I9 are connected. 50

.operatively related to the arms I9 and 2|, and shown in thepresent instance as connected thereto above the pivot pins I1 and I8, is a tension spring 32 actingto lift and maintain vthe weather strip .in its ,raised pcsition within the housing 1.5.5

an adjustment of The door 6 is shown, in the present instance, as hingedly connected to a door frame 33, and for acting upon the rod I2 to lower the weather strip 25 into engagement with the door sill 34 when the door is closed, a pressure member or stop indicated as a whole by the numeral 35 and having a concave face 36 formed thereon (Fig. 4) is shown as slidably mounted in a cup-like casing 3l positioned in a recess 38 formed in the door frame 33, the casing 3l having an opening 39 formed in its bottom portion adapted to receive a screw-threaded shank portion 4I formed on the pressure member 35. Positioned within the casing 3l between the bottom thereof and the inner side of the pressure member 35 is a spring l2 adapted to urge the pressure member in one direction and permitting it to yield and move inwardly in the opposite direction, the shank portion 4I being provided with nuts 43 cooperable with the bottom portion of the casing for limiting the outward movement of the pressure member 35, and for adjusting the pressure member 35 with respect to the casing, the member 35 is provided with a screw-driver slot 44 by which the shank portion 6I may be held against rotation while adjusting the nuts 43 thereon.

For removing the casing 31 rom the recess 38 to make any desired adjustments of the pressure member with respect to the casing, the casing 3l may be provided with oppositely disposed apertures d formed in its wall portion and adapted to receive a suitable tool by which the casing may be withdrawn from the recess 38.

By reference to Fig. l it will be noted that the door 5 is partially open and that the protruding outer end of the push rod I2 of the actuating member I I isrout of engagement with the stop or pressure member 35, in which position oi the actuating member including the rod I2 and the plate I3, the free ends of the arms I9 and 2I, are held in their raised positions by means of the spring 32 with the weather strip 25 elevated'and supported in its raised position within the housing "I, while in Fig. 2, the door 6 is shown in closed position with the rod I2 in engagement with the stop or pressure member 35 by which the actuating member I I has been moved to the right, and through its crankpin connections 22 and 23 with the arms I3 and 2 I, respectively, has caused the arms to be rotated in opposite directions in a manner to move the free ends thereof downwardly, andthe weather strip 26 into engagement with the door Sill 34, which, in Fig. 2, is shown at an angle to the lower edge of the door, but it will be noted that by reason of the slot and pin connections 293I between the bar 25 and arm I9, the weather strip 26 has been moved into engagement throughout its length with the door sill 34.

It will be noted also that by reason of the yieldability of the stop or pressure member 35 as illustrated in Fig. 4, that after the Weather strip 26 has been moved into efficient engagement with the door sill, any further or lost Vmotion of the actuating mechanism and door in the closing thereof, will be taken up by the resiliency and yielding of the spring 42, thereby avoiding the necessity of closely adjusting the position of the pressure member or stop 35, but if for any reason the pressure member 35 with reference to the casing 31 should be desirable, it may be accomplished by means of nuts 33. It will be observed also that the concave face 3B of the pressure member 35 will act to center the push rod I2 with respect thereto as it is brought into engagement therewith.

Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the precise construction and an arrangement shown and described as the same may be vari- 5 ously modied. Moreover, all the features of the invention need not be used conjointly as the same may be used to advantage in variously different combinations and subcombinations.

What I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an automatic door bottom, the combination of a housing adapted to be mounted in a door operatively related to a door frame, an actuating member longitudinally movable in said housing and comprising a push rod and a plate having a plurality of slots formed therein rigidly connected to said rod, a plurality of pivot pins mounted in said housing and extending respectively through said slots to provide guides for 30 said actuating member, a plurality of arms pivotally mounted on said pins, crank pins for pivotally connecting the respective armsV to said Y plate, a weather strip, a supporting bar therefor pivotally connected to the free end of one of said arms, said bar having a slot formed therein in spaced relation to the pivotal connection of the bar with said one of the arms, a pin mounted in the free end of the other of said arms and adapted to slidably engage the slot in said bar for connecting said other arm thereto, an adjustable stop in said door frame engageable with said rod for moving the actuating member in one direction in a manner to rotate saidA arms in opposite directions about said pivot pins to g5.

lower said weather strip as the door is being closed, and resilient means connected adjacent its ends to the respective arms for rotating them in the reverse directions to lift the weather strip and move said actuating member in the oppo- 40V site direction'as the door is being opened.

2. In an automatic door bottom, the combination of a housing adapted to be mounted in a door operatively related to a door frame, an actuating member longitudinally movable in said housing and comprising a push rod and a plate having a plurality of slots formed therein rigidly connected to said rod, a plurality of pivot pins mounted rigidlyin said housing and extending loosely through the respective slots to provide guides JorY said actuating member, a plurality of arms pivotally mounted on said pins and extending, respectively, in opposite directions therefrom, crank pins below and above therespective pivot pins for pivotally connecting the respective arms to said plate, a weather strip, a supporting bar therefor pivotally connected to the free end of one of said arms, said bar having a slot formed therein in spaced relation to the pivotal connection of the bar with said one of thearms, a pin mounted in the free end of the other of said arms and adapted to slidably engage the slot in said bar for connecting said other arm thereto, a yieldable stop in said door frame engageable with said rod for moving the actuatingmember in one direction in a manner to rotate said arms in opposite directions about the respective pivot pins to lower said weather strip as the door is being closed,-and resilient means directly connected adjacent its ends to the respective arms for rotating them in the reverse direction to lift. the weather strip and move said actuating Vmemberin the opposite direction as the door is being opened.

3. InV an automatic door bottom, the combi- 7d nation of a housing adapted to be mounted in a door operatively related to a door frame, an actuating member longitudinally movable in said housing and comprising a push rod and a plate having a pair of slots form'ed therein rigidly connected to said rod, a pair of pivot pins mounted rigidly in said housing and extending loosely through the respective slots to provide guides for said actuating member, a plurality of arms pivotally mounted on said pins and extending, respectively, in opposite directions therefrom, crank pins below and above the respective pivot pins for pivotally connecting the respective arms to said plate, a weather strip, a supporting bar therefor pivotally connected to the free end of one of said arms, said bar having a slot formed therein in spaced relation toy the pivotal connection of the bar with said one of the arms, a pin mounted in the free end of the other of said arms and adapted to slidably engage the slot in said bar for connecting said other arm thereto, an adjustable and yieldable stop in said door frame engageable with one end of said rod for moving the actuating member in one direction in a manner to rotate said arms in opposite directions about the respective pivot pins to lower said Weather strip as the door is being closed, and a spring engageable adjacent its ends With the respective arms at one side of said pivot pins for rotating the arms in the reverse direction to lift the weather strip and move said actuating member in the opposite direction as the door is being opened.

d. A yieldable stop for the actuating mechanism of automatic door bottoms comprising a casing adapted to be mounted in a door frame, a pressure member mounted in and relatively movable with respect to said casing, resilient means operatively related to said member and casing for yieldingly urging the pressure member in one direction, and means operatively related to said member and casing for limiting the movement of the pressure member under the influence of said resilient means.

5. A yieldable stop for the actuating mechanism of automatic door bottoms comprising a cup-like casing adapted to be mounted in a door frame and having an opening formed in its bottom portion, a pressure member having a concave outer face and slidably mounted in said casing, said pressure member having a shank portion extending loosely through said opening, resilient means positioned between said member and the bottom of the casing for yieldingly urging the pressure member in one direction, and

means carried by said shank portion and engageable with said casing for limiting the movement of said pressure member under the influence of said resilient means.

6. An adjustable stop for the actuating mechanism of automatic door bottoms comprising a cup-like casing adapted to be mounted in a door frame and having an opening formed in its bottom portion, a slotted pressure member adjustably mounted in said casing and having a screwthreaded shank portion extending loosely through said opening, and means outside the casing and operatively related to said pressure member and casing for adjusting the member longitudinally of the casing.

'7. An adjustable and yieldable stop for the actuating mechanism of automatic door bottoms comprising a cup-like casing adapted to be mounted in a door frame and having a plurality of oppositely disposed apertures formed in its side wall and an opening formed in its bottom portion, a concave slotted pressure member adjustably and slidably mounted in said casing and having a screw-threaded shank portion extending loosely through said opening, a spring positioned between said pressure member and the bottom of said casing for yieldingly urging the member in one direction, and means engageable with said screw-threaded shank portion and said casing for adjusting the pressure member longi 

